Public Health SPOTlight Podcast

By PH SPOT

Sujani Sivanantharajah, the founder of PHSPOT.org sits down with public health heroes of our time to share career stories, inspiration, and guidance for building public health careers.

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FAQs about Public Health SPOTlight Podcast:

How many episodes does Public Health SPOTlight Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 173 episodes available.

Public Health SPOTlight Podcast episodes:

November 23, 2022Figuring out what you like and don’t like: how being a personal trainer kickstarted a public health career, with Jeff Button
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Jeff Button, a public health emergency preparedness specialist. They discuss Jeff’s career journey from working as a personal trainer to working in public health, what inspired him to pursue public health, and what public health emergency preparedness encompasses.

You’ll Learn
Jeff’s experience as a personal health trainer and what led him to the public health field
What made Jeff choose to pursue public health over physical therapy
How to find what your passion is and signs/indicators that you may not be working in the right field
How work experiences can inspire you and better help you understand your field of interests
Advice on how to start making connections in a new professional field
The importance of making connections and how they can open doors in your career
What public health emergency preparedness is
What a day in the life of a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planner looks like
Jeff’s current work in addressing health disparities that have been exacerbated by COVID and his experience working in a newly established team
How intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration come in to play in public health

Today’s Guest
Jeff Button is an early-career public health professional who discovered his passion for health promotion and disease prevention during his time working in the fitness and healthcare industries. Upon graduating with his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in December 2019 from the UTHealth School of Public Health in Dallas, Jeff was determined to find a job in the public health field that focused on improving population health and well-being. Currently, he is employed with a local health department within Collin County, Texas, where he was selected to serve as the first Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Planner for a state-funded COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant. In Jeff’s current role, he provides leadership on a team that analyzes the root causes of pandemic-driven health disparities and builds multi-sector partnerships with community stakeholders to improve the health of vulnerable populations. Jeff is passionate about reducing health disparities and addressing social determinants of health that affect health outcomes among high-risk and underserved communities. Jeff is a proud member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) who enjoys networking with other like-minded public health professionals and sharing his unique journey in the field of public health.

Resources
Follow Jeff on LinkedIn
Learn more about the The Medical Reserve Corps and Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
44min
November 16, 2022What you need to build your public health career: a purpose driven path and belief in yourself, with Maudra Brown
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Maudra Brown, the founder and CEO of MRB Public Health Consulting. They discuss Maudra’s various work experiences in public health, her transition from working in government to creating her own consulting firm, and how taking risks and believing in her passions has led to Maudra finding success in entrepreneurship.

You’ll Learn
How Maudra found her way to the public health field
A brief overview of the public health and tropical medicine program at Tulane University
Tips on how to find your niche in public health and the importance of trying new and unique experiences
Maudra’s experience leading a new public health program right out of graduation
Why Maudra moved from her directorial role in government to creating her own consulting firm
How Maudra’s passion for caring for children and communities of her interest led to pursuing entrepreneurship
How Maudra has found success with her company and creating sustainable partnerships
How exploring non-traditional partnerships has helped communities and clients that Maudra has worked with
What a day in the life of a chief health strategist looks like
Advice for students and early professionals and why believing in yourself is at the core of building a fulfilling career

Today’s Guest
Combining over a decade of public health expertise with lived experiences internationally and domestically, Maudra champions public health in innovative ways, focusing on non-traditional partnerships and incorporating best practices with independent thought leadership.
Maudra holds a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance from The College of Charleston, in Charleston, South Carolina and a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in International Health and Sustainable Development from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is certified and credentialed in both health systems and public health arenas, a unique and specialized expertise that not many in this industry have.
As MRB's Chief Health Strategist, Maudra helps communities effectively integrate and practically navigate public health.

Resources
Learn more about MRB Public Health Consulting on their website or contact them by email
Follow MRB Public Health Consulting on Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook
Learn more about Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
42min
November 09, 2022Taking the long road: from construction to public health, with Brock Turner
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Brock Turner, a health and human sciences educator at Purdue University. They talk about transitioning careers, Brock’s passion for health and education, and where continuous learning fits in your career.

You’ll Learn
Brock’s career journey from working in construction, project management, to health education
How Brock’s passion for bettering the lives of others led him to the field of public health
How having children and building a family changed Brock’s perspective on his career
Brock’s experience transitioning from a well established career to going back to school and working in a new field
How to make this transition smoother
How skill sets can transfer even across seemingly different occupations
What a day in the life of a health and human sciences extension educator looks like
How the Certified Health Education Specialist credential has helped Brock in his career
Why continuous learning is important for educators in this constantly changing environment
Why it was important to Brock to be involved in university committees that influence change that impacts students and others on campus

Today’s Guest
Brock Turner is a Health and Human Science Educator for Purdue University Extension in Indiana. He holds a Master of Public Health and Master of Science in Health Education degree from Purdue University Global. He is also a NCHEC-Certified Health Education Specialist and NFPT-Certified Personal Trainer. As a Health and Human Science educator, Brock strives to improve the lives and livelihoods of those within his community by bringing evidence-based education from Purdue University to the people. He focuses his educational programming in areas of nutrition, financial resource management, human development, and health and wellness. Brock transitioned into the Health Education field after spending 15 years working in project management, project sales, procurement, and retail sales. He loves to connect with people in order to make a lasting and positive impact on their lives.

Resources
Follow Brock on LinkedIn
Learn more about Purdue University
Learn more about the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential
Learn more about the course Moving Past Change Fatigue to the Growth Edge
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
40min
November 02, 2022Building a clinical medicine and global health career, with pediatric infectious diseases specialist Sarah Labuda
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Sarah Labuda, a physician and medical epidemiologist focusing on global health. They discuss Sarah’s passion for both global health and clinical practice, how Sarah found her way to public health, and advice for students who are mapping out their own career paths.

You’ll Learn
Sarah’s experiences working in pediatrics and global health
What inspired Sarah to pursue a career in global health
Advice for students who are interested in pursuing a career in global health
What learning resources are available for gaining skills needed in public health
What a day in Sarah’s life looks like
The importance of asking questions and speaking to others working in fields that you are interested in
The importance of self reflection and determining your core values and goals
How you can gain more experience in global health

Today’s Guest
Dr. Sarah Labuda is a physician and medical epidemiologist with a passion for global health and public health practice, clinical medicine, and helping students and trainees planning for satisfying and impactful careers in global health. She has practiced urgent care and full-scope general pediatrics in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Lousiana; provided specialty care to children with sickle cell disease in Angola; and worked in public health at the state, national, and international levels focusing on HIV, Tuberculosis, Hansen’s Disease, and malaria control. She completed both her undergraduate and medical degrees at Texas A&M University; Pediatric Residency at the University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas; Masters of Public Health degree with certificate in global health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Resources
Visit CourseEra
Read Dr. Lawrence Loh's blog post about the global health gamble
Follow Sarah on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Subscribe to Sarah's website
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
39min
October 26, 2022Preparation meets opportunity: career strategies to land dream jobs and the importance of mentorship, with WHO Epidemiologist, Alice Simniceanu
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Alice Simniceanu, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organization. They discuss Alice’s career journey and current work, the importance of mentorship, and advice on how to land your dream public health job.

You’ll Learn
How Alice became interested in the field of public health and more specifically, infection prevention and control
Alice’s career journey from working in a hospital setting to a global setting
How reaching out can help you find your passion and open doors
Tips on how to sell yourself in interviews even if you may not have extensive experience
What a day in Alice’s life looks at
Alice’s experience working in infection control during the COVID pandemic
The biggest challenges Alice has faced through her career
The importance of finding good mentors in your career

Today’s Guest
Alice Simniceanu is a public health professional in global public health and epidemiologist in infectious and emerging diseases, outbreak preparedness and response at WHO. She has experience in hospital epidemiology and infection prevention and control in diverse health care organizations working at international, national and sub-national levels. She holds an MPH from Queen’s University in Canada and is currently doing her PhD in Global Health at the University of Geneva.

Resources
Follow Alice on LinkedIn
Read Alice’s blog post: Public Health Vs. Infection Control
Learn more about OpenWHO
Learn more about GEM
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
58min
October 19, 2022Getting out of your comfort zone: teacher to public health researcher, with Stephanie L. Verna
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Stephanie Verna, a former physical education and health teacher and current public health professional. They discuss Stephanie’s career journey, how she took the leap of pursuing public health, and the importance of living without regret.

You’ll Learn
Stephanie’s experience as a teacher and a coach and her passion for education
What motivated Stephanie to change career paths and pursue public health
Stephanie’s interest in sports health and preventing injury
How the pandemic impacted Stephanie’s education and career
Stephanie’s experience going back to school, the biggest challenges that she faced, and how she managed them
The importance of fully utilizing resources available to you in educational institutes, such as career centers
How networking can open doors for you to get to your dream career
Advice for others who are thinking about taking the next step in their career path

Today’s Guest
Stephanie Verna is a Program and Research Manager at one of the CDC’s currently funded injury control research centers-Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University located in Atlanta, Georgia. Stephanie’s research interests include a multitude of injury topics such as traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and transportation safety. In addition, she is working on a phase 3 national exercise clinical trial, SPARX3 that investigates the effects of moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercise on disease progression in untreated patients with Parkinson’s.
Previously, Stephanie was a middle school Physical Education and Health teacher for over a decade and a women’s lacrosse coach at the middle/high school levels for 18 years. She left her wonderful education and coaching position at a middle school to attend graduate school at Emory University during the pandemic in the fall of 2020. She graduated in May 2022 with a master's in public health from the behavioral, social, and health education sciences department with an injury prevention certificate. Additionally, she acquired her certified health educational specialist (CHES) certification.
Stephanie’s passions include educating, mentoring, and coaching other graduate and undergraduate students. She hopes to continue working within the space of injury and violence prevention but hopes to reach her goal of participating in sports related TBI/concussion research in the future.

Resources
Follow Stephanie on LinkedIn
Watch the documentary Big Hits Broken Dreams
Buy the book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
48min
October 17, 2022 The Power of Community: The Public Health Career Club Launches Soon [BONUS]
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
Since the launch of PH SPOT in 2017, we've been working to answer this question: How do we support and guide you in building your dream public health career?

What we've learned over the years is that the answer lies here:

PEOPLE. NETWORK. COMMUNITY.

As much as career strategies, job application tips, and job preparation are important in building your dream career, the number one thing that's THE KEY to career success and satisfaction is having the right people around you. This then ultimately puts you down the path to building your dream career.

This holds true regardless of whether you are a student, a new grad, early in your career, mid-career, or feel pretty established.

By leveraging the power of community, we are launching The Public Health Career Club on October 19, 2022!

Listen to this episode as Sujani tells you more about how the Club was born and everything that led up to the creation of this new experience.

Our mission is to create the largest and most supportive global community for public health, focused specifically on building your dream career.

Learn more here: FAQs about the Club
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
18min
October 12, 2022Building a public health career across three continents and the importance of a strong support network, with Public Health Lecturer and Researcher, Ritika Tiwari
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Ritika Tiwari, a lecturer in Public Health at the University of Greenwich. They discuss Ritika’s education and career journey, her research interests, and her work in various countries around the world.

You’ll Learn
Ritika’s education journey and what pushed her into the field of public health
Ritika’s work and research in various areas of the world
How Ritika’s background in business management and human resources connect to her work in public health
How the pandemic has affected the public health system
What a day in Ritika’s life looks like
Ritika’s experience with teaching and how her work experience has helped her
The importance of mentorship for students
Tips for listeners who may be thinking of pursuing an education or career in another part of the world
Ritika’s goals and plans in social entrepreneurship in public health
Career advice for early career professionals and students

Today’s Guest
Ritika Tiwari is a Lecturer in Public Health at University of Greenwich, United Kingdom. Ritika is teaching on the BSc in Public Health and MSc in Global Public Health courses, including modules such as Introduction to Public Health, Behaviour Change, Public Health, Policy, & Politics and Poverty, Inequality & Social Exclusion. Ritika’s research mainly focuses on health workforce estimation and forecasting. She joined University of Greenwich in 2022 and previously worked at the Stellenbosch University (Cape Town, South Africa) and Public Health Foundation of India (New Delhi, India). She earned her Ph.D. degree in Health Management from Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India.

Resources
Follow Ritika on Twitter and LinkedIn
Learn more about Ritika's research
Learn more about the Public Health Foundation of India
Watch Arunachalam Muruganantham's Ted Talk
Other PH SPOT resources:
Share ideas for the podcast
Never heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up
Be notified when new episodes come out and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community
Contribute to the public health career blog
Upcoming course on infographics
Learn mo
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
41min
October 05, 2022Doing something not done before: a career built on a passion for teaching and One Health, with Veterinarian, Entrepreneur and Author, Deborah Thomson
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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Deborah Thomson, the founder of One Health Lessons. They discuss the various titles Deborah has held, Deborah’s areas of interest in public health, and the vision and mission of One Health Lessons.

You’ll Learn
Deborah’s career journey from teaching, to practicing as a veterinarian, to working in public health
What a day in Deborah’s life looks like
Tips on time management
How Toastmasters helps with communication skills,
What One Health is
How One Health Lessons came to be
The goal of One Health Lessons
How listeners can help with this mission
What's next for One Health
Advice for others passionate about starting an initiative
Deborah’s experience writing “The Art of Science Communication”
Deborah’s career goals for the future
Today’s Guest
Dr. Deborah Thomson is author of The Art of Science Communication and the Chair of the World Veterinary Association's One Health Education Subgroup. In addition, she founded an organization that inspires children and adults around the world to value the interconnection between human health and the health of the environment, plants, and animals (called One Health Lessons). She has served as a Science Policy Advisor in the United States Congress and is also a clinical veterinarian and award-winning public speaker. Her articles have been printed in multiple publications, including The Lancet Planetary Health.

Resources
Learn more about Deborah and follow her on LinkedIn
Learn more about One Health Lessons
Learn more about Toastmasters
Buy The Art of Science Communication: Sharing Knowledge with Students, the Public, and Policymakers
Follow One Health Lessons on Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook
Other PH SPOT resources:
Share ideas for the podcast
Never heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
42min
September 28, 2022Quick Career Tip: Networking - To create opportunities for yourself, you need to create opportunities for others
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
This is a QUICK CAREER TIPS episode: short podcast episodes spotlighting a career tip for public health professionals.
Today’s career tip is on how to create and sustain your network of public health professionals.
Whenever people talk about career growth, the word “networking” is bound to come up. It’s become a standard part of our career culture, but it’s not always a straightforward process: it tends to require a lot of work, especially building and maintaining that network. In today’s Quick Career Tip episode we’ll be talking about what it takes to do exactly that, and how you can do so in a way that eventually pays off.
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
How to create a public health network through the spaces and people you already know
Why the key to strengthening your public health network is to “give before you receive”
Featured on the Show:
Quick Career Tips – Here Are The Questions You Need To Ask At Your Next Informational Interview
ABC’s Of Informational Interviews In The Public Health World, With Shanna Shulman
The Public Health Career Club 🌟
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Other Resources:
Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this form
Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.
Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contribute
Support the show
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
...more
13min

FAQs about Public Health SPOTlight Podcast:

How many episodes does Public Health SPOTlight Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 173 episodes available.